Some Colorado businesses can reopen May 1 as governor shifts from stay-at-home to ‘safer at home’

Local public health agencies will be working to tailor their local strategies

Colorado Gov. Jared Polis makes a point during a news conference to update the state's efforts to control the spread of the new coronavirus Friday, April 17, 2020, at the governor's mansion in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Gov. Jared Polis on Monday laid out more detailed guidelines for Colorado’s reopening after the statewide coronavirus stay-at-home order expires April 26.

Retailers will have the option to open May 1, Polis said, as long as they have social-distancing policies in place. Business offices can reopen the following Monday, May 4, he said, although he added telecommuting should be maximized as much as possible, particularly with older employees.

Restaurants and bars will stay closed initially but might be allowed to open in mid-May, he said. Schools will not reopen immediately. Personal service providers, like hair salons, will be able to reopen with some precautions on April 27, such as hair stylists wearing masks. One-on-one real estate showings — though not open houses — and child care can restart then, too.

The state will need to shift from staying-at-home to being “safer at home,” Polis said, warning that Colorado’s reopening will be a long, painstaking process even after the order lifts.

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Polis noted that some parts of the state will be able to reopen to a fuller degree than others, depending on the virus’s reach. Local public health agencies will be working to tailor their local strategies, he said.

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